Local Poll Week X: Splitting pairs

The top five teams in this poll all went 1-1 last week, but there are many different kinds of 1-1. Georgetown's was triumphant. Maryland's was ambivalent. Virginia's was bizarre. William & Mary's was disastrous.

What it all means is that virtually nothing has changed in this existential nightmare time-suck known as the Atlantic 11. The entire top 11 remains the same, and the only difference in ordering was that William & Mary drops down to seventh, passed by Virginia and VCU.

Nationally, the streaking Hoyas are ranked seventh by the AP, seventh by the coaches, and 3rd in RPI. Maryland and George Mason combine for three AP votes, while Maryland and Virginia Tech combine for nine points in the coaches' poll.

It's getting lonely for the Hoyas in those freaky RPI lists; Richmond is 39th, Old Dominion 46th, Maryland 49th, William & Mary 51st, VCU 61st, Virginia Tech 69th and Virginia 90th. Remember, not two months ago there were four local representatives in the top 25 of RPI.

Here are the totals. We have team, record (through Sunday's games), points and first-place votes. Last week's standings are found below, and there's more hilarity even further below.

1. Georgetown (16-4) 664 (64)
--Next: Wednesday vs. South Florida, Saturday vs. Villanova.
--Cameras caught Duke assistant Steve Wojchiechowski mouthing the words "not true" when Clark Kellogg said that the ACC was having a down year during the Hoyas-Duke game. (Bill Fitzgerald)

3. Old Dominion (17-6) 442
--Next: Wednesday vs. No. 7 William & Mary, Saturday at No. 6 VCU.
--The CAA is on track to get more teams in the tournament than the Pac 10? Yeah right, next you'll tell me that the Grammy for Album of the Year went to someone who can't change pitch when she sings. (Max Wasserman)

5. Virginia (13-6) 408
--Next: Wednesday vs. N.C. State, Saturday vs. Wake Forest.
--Getting engaged over the weekend beats out the excitement of watching Virginia win an ACC game of some quality, but like most Virginia games, it was closer than my fiancee would have liked. (Jamie Jones)

6. VCU (15-5) 286
--Next: Wednesday at UNC Wilmington, Saturday vs. No. 3 Old Dominion.
--After becoming Miss America, VCU student Caressa Cameron says she plans to take a year away from college to raise money for charity and carry the 89-year-old pageant's crown, meaning the Rams basketball coach isn't the only one to skip town at the first sign of success. (Jake Leffler)

8. George Mason (15-7) 262
--Next: Wednesday at Georgia State, Saturday at Drexel.
--Patriots freshman guard Rashad Whack slipped in the shower and dislocated his left shoulder Friday, proving once again that you should never try and pick up the soap, under any circumstances. (John Albers)

9. Richmond (16-6) 240
--Next: Wednesday at St. Joseph's, Saturday vs. Temple.
--Kept St. Louis to 36 points. The last time Rick Majerus was held to 18 buckets, Golden Corral had a lawsuit on its hands. (Devin Perry)

10. Morgan State (15-7) 75
--Next: Monday at N.C. A&T, Saturday vs. Florida A&M.
--Bears let Norfolk State take them to overtime just so they would have something to talk about on the bus ride home. (Jamie Paquette)

11. George Washington (12-8) 51
--Next: Wednesday at Charlotte, Saturday vs. Duquesne.
--Lost to Georgetown in the Battle of Winning While the President of the United States Is In the Audience At Your Arena Which Is On the Orange Line. (Max Wasserman)